We welcome our new Grand Master, who has always been a grand master really. We give you some insight on the best Science Fiction and Fantasy this year and next, and we explain why Gandalf is not a nice man. But he's a great wizard.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service. For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

We bend space and time to have Paul Cornell, all-around geek writerextraordinaire, join us to talk London Falling, how he bridged theMarvel-DC divide, and the next step in his plans for world domination.

Friends of Sword and Laser are doing VERY well. We're not saying that being a guest on Sword and Laser will guarantee you riches... but it seems like it might. Just saying. Also we have verification on the humanity of the Bibliomat. Also WARNING: there's cursing. But it's worth it. All that and Moria, on this episode.

I went to the Monkey's Paw this weekend when I was in Toronto. I took a video (albeit crappy) of it. I was thinking I could send you guys the book for your set, as the random book I received ended up being...."The Dictionary of Mysticism".

What do you think?

Thanks,

Caitlin from Canada

Tom Merritt

Awesome!

So..... person inside??

Caitlin O'Brien

to Tom, Veronica

....sort of. I put my money in, and it made some noises, but nothing came out. A guy at the front of the store yelled ""just a minute!"" and came back to load it for me. Once he was done, he gave me back my toonie and told me keeping it stocked is a full time second job. So, there was human involvment - just no human inside. Plus, when I was googling the address, I came across this video: http://jezebel.com/5965769/magical-used-book-store-dispenses-random-literary-treasures and it shows how it works.

I was pretty excited that something so relevant to the Sword and Laser came out.

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Hey Tom & Veronica, just wanted to leave some feedback on the audio podcasts. I really like the new overall show balance you guys have got going these days with the news in the audio podcast, and also the more relaxed feel that you seem to have. The audio show is the perfect thing to listen to late at night with a glass of wine when you need to unwind. (I'm drinking a nice locally-made Ontario riesling, for the record.)

I love the idea of the audience being on the audio show, the ""plead your case"" scenario, especially in cases like Nick's. Have you heard back from him yet? Is he going to be on the show?

As always, I love all the show formats, audio and video. Have a great day!

Gordon S. McLeod

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"Tom and Veronica,

I just wanted to say that I think you do a wonderful job with The Sword and Laser podcast and YouTube show.

I started listening to the podcast in 2009. Since then, you have introduced me to so many great books. I don't often read along with your picks, but I usually add them to my ""to-read"" list and have read many of them later on.

I've also really enjoyed the author interviews over the years. The author spotlights on the YouTube show are especially nice.

Oh, and I have to send a big thanks for convincing me to sign up for Audible. My commutes to work are sooooo much better now.

Thanks for everything and keep up the great work!

Happy holidays,

Mike"

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ADDENDUMS

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service. For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

We've been talking about it for years, but now it's actually going to be a real thing! That's right, we're officially announcing the Sword & Laser Anthology!

We'll be starting open submissions in March, but here's what you need to know:

1. We're looking for unpublished, new material.

2. Genres: science fiction, fantasy, and everything in between.

3. Word count preferably between 1500-7500 (though more or less will not disqualify you).

DON'T SEND US ANYTHING YET! We won't even LOOK at it until we announce the open call. Just start thinking about what you'd like to submit. We wanted to give you some warning, but you'll have time, we promise!

On this episode we breakdown the Tolkien estate case against Warner Brothers, debate the origins of the Ghallu, and even figure out the January book pick! Also Tom has a Snow Day. But it's not what you think. It's BETTER!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service. For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

It's a fun show this time. No, seriously, you should try to listen. We talk with Dave Gross, Lead Writer at Overhaul Games, and James L. Suttera co-creator of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Fiction Editor for Paizo Publishing. They share some great insights on the relationship of role-playing games to fantasy novels as well as just about the craft of writing itself. Also Veronica peer pressures Tom into drinking.

CALENDARINTERVIEWDave Gross, Lead Writer at Overhaul Games, developers of Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition. and James L. Suttera co-creator of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Fiction Editor for Paizo Publishing.This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service. For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

We sit down with Robin Hobb to discuss her penchant for pen names, what's she currently working on, and her epic trilogies, or are they a nonology? dodecology? We're not sure either, but regardless, enjoy!

Hey guys,I love your show. Can't wait for the Robin Hobb interview. Will that be on the youtube webcast and the audio podcast? I read Liveship, Tawny Man, Farseer, and the new Rain Wilds series. I had to Lem the Soldier Son....it was way too slow and a little boring....I didn't like the protagonist at all.

Anyway, I am really writing today about the email below. You guys are going to be in the money for all of the books you have bought from Amazon. I have had a Kindle for around 3 years and I am always disappointed about the pricing. The electronic version of a book should ALWAYS be less then the hardback/paperback but that is not always so.

It looks like some publishers are finally trying to put an end of the extreme pricing.What do you think?

Is the Youtube podcast ever going to go to Itunes as a videocast? I am not always in front of my computer / smart TV so it would be great if my IPod could play the video cast. You guys look great on a 55"" HD TV by the way.

Dear Kindle Customer,We have good news. You are entitled to a credit for some of your past e-book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major e-book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories, including yours. You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your Amazon.com account if the Court approves the settlements in February 2013.Hachette, Harper Collins, and Simon & Schuster have settled an antitrust lawsuit about e-book prices. Under the proposed settlements, the publishers will provide funds for a credit that will be applied directly to your Amazon.com account. If the Court approves the settlements, the account credit will appear automatically and can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, the Attorneys General estimate that it will range from $0.30 to $1.32 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased between April 2010 and May 2012. Alternatively, you may request a check in the amount of your credit by following the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements here:www.amazon.com/help/agencyebooksettlementsIn addition to the account credit, the settlements impose limitations on the publishers’ ability to set e-book prices. We think these settlements are a big win for customers and look forward to lowering prices on more Kindle books in the future.Thank you for being a Kindle customer.The Amazon Kindle Team

ADDENDUMSThis podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service. For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

Today we show you just why the audio podcast is different and more REAL than anything else you listen to. Then we calm down, sober up, time travel, and have a fascinating interview with G. Willow Wilson. Turns out, she is awesome. Find out why!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service. For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

With a movie adaptation coming to theatres on October 26th, we kick-off David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, check in with the folks over on Goodreads, and giggle like schoolboys at the titles of a few of Tom's favorite pieces of pulp fiction!

Is science fiction exhauasted? It has a had a hard century's work. We'll examine that, invite you to read some banned books, and smell Veronica's feet. Don't let that last one put you off. We also kick off Cloud Atlas.

I have always been an avid reader but not a fantasy/sci-fi reader until I started to listen to your audio podcast, I came by the way of Buzz Out Loud. Listening to ya'll talk about the Game of Thrones so much made me decide I had to give a shot, well I started reading them in July and am over half way through the 5th book now we are also watching the HBO series. I wanted to thank you for introducing me to such a great series that I otherwise would have missed and to send you some pictures that I think of every time the talk about the old gods in the weirwood trees. http://www.flickr.com/photos/82006512@N00/8037943720/in/photostream/ These pictures are from Orr Park in Montevallo, Alabama were a local artist by the name of Tingle has been carving in the deadwood trees since at least 1993. Just had to share these pics with ya'll.

Love the show,

Laura Boggs

Montevallo, Alabama

ADDENDUMS

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service. For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.